The Siren of the Deep takes its name from a term used by diving communities to describe an overwhelming pull to stay on the bottom of the ocean in a state of awe and never come back up. The exhibition draws on accounts of astronauts, cosmonauts, divers, religious euphoria, come-ups & come-downs to follow experiences of bliss and the subsequent return to Earth through light, sound, and sculptural elements that are activated and deactivated states.
Leah’s work was selected following an open call, and is the latest in a series of projects developed by EOP members including Lindsey Mendick, Luke Routledge, Beth Kettel, Rafal Zar and Freya Dooley.
Leah Clements is an artist based in London whose practice spans film, performance, writing, installation, and other media. Her work is concerned with the relationship between the psychological, emotional, and physical, often through personal accounts of unusual or hard-to-articulate experiences. Her work also focuses on sickness/cripness/disability in art, in critical and practical ways.
Leah is currently an artist in residence at Serpentine Galleries. Recent commissions include (2020): ‘Hyperbaric’, original performance as part of ‘Hyper Functional, Ultra Healthy’, Somerset House Studios, with a second iteration commissioned by Rupert at the Artists’ Association Gallery, Vilnius; ‘Other Rooms’, group exhibition, Rupert, Vilnius (artist and co-curator), ‘Diagnosis’, written text, Chisenhale Gallery; ‘A sort of ‘no’ feeling’, La Casa Encendida, Madrid. (2019): ‘ON EDGE: Living in an Age of Anxiety’, Science Gallery London; ‘Adam Reynolds Memorial Bursary Exhibition’, Baltic39, Newcastle; ‘On Allyship’, ICA, London; ‘Beyond the Perfect Image’, Wellcome Collection, London; ‘Still Here’, National Gallery of Art, Vilnius. (2018): Artist residency, Wysing Arts Centre; ‘I never promised you a rose garden’ Matèria, Palermo; On Cripping ICA, London; Artist residency, Rupert, Vilnius; ‘Skin of the Eye Act II’, Vermilion Sands, Copenhagen. (2017): HereNow Art+Technology Residency, Space, London. (2016): ‘we felt the presence of someone else’, Jupiter Woods, London. (2015): ‘ Beside’, live work, Chisenhale Gallery; ‘you promised me poems’ solo show, Vitrine, London.
In March 2019, Leah launched Access Docs for Artists: an online resource made in collaboration with Lizzy Rose and Alice Hattrick to help disabled artists create and use access documents.
The exhibition was wheelchair accessible, and alternative formats of written and audio material were available. Please see the exhibition access guide below and our full gallery access guide here or contact info@eastsideprojects.org for more information.